


How Long?

by romeoandjulietyouwish



Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [18]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Cancer, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Good Dad Owen Strand, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of Cancer, Owen Strand is a Good Dad, Terminal Illnesses, Worried TK Strand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish
Summary: Prompt: owen having a some kind of breakdown about his cancer
Relationships: Owen Strand & TK Strand
Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725208
Comments: 7
Kudos: 66





	How Long?

As Owen looks at the papers in his hands he can help the sob that aches in his throat. His death sentence is clearly stated in clean black text and graphs in front of him. It’s getting worse. He’s going to die. Owen can feel it in his bones, he can’t beat this. He can feel the weakness and the aches and everything that comes with this awful diagnosis. 

He feels as though the ground is falling right from under his feet. Everything he had worked so hard for is gone. There are so many things that he still hasn’t done, things he still doesn’t know, things he still hasn’t said. And now he might not get the time to do it. 

But the thing that stabs Owen right through the heart is TK. His son, his only child. He can’t leave him. He wants to see TK become the successful man he knows he is, he wants to see TK fall in love and get married, he wants to meet his grandchildren. He wants to see TK be truly happy for the first time in over ten years. 

But that may never happen. 

The chemo isn’t working the way the doctors want it to. His cancer is getting worse, a lot worse. Staring his death in the face, Owen can’t help but think that this is not how he’s supposed to go. He’s a firefighter who survived 9/11 surely he deserves to die serving his city and his people, not wasting away from this sickness growing inside him. 

He won’t get the kind of death he’d always morbidly imagined for himself. He’s on desk duty for the next few months, but how long before he can’t work at all? How long before he’ll be stuck in the hospital coughing up blood every single day? 

How long until he has to say goodbye to TK?

“Dad?”

Owen looks up from where he’s sitting on his bed, the papers clutched tightly in his hand, wrinkling from his grip. TK is standing hesitantly in the doorway a concerned frown etched onto his face. With a faint smile, Owen sees that TK is wearing one of Carlos’ hoodies. Taking a deep breath, Owen sets aside the papers and quickly mops up the tears on his cheeks. 

“Come here, kid,” Owen lifts his arm and without a word, TK crosses the room and sits down beside Owen on the bed, leaning into his dad’s side. Owen hugs his kid close, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before resting his cheek on top of TK’s hair. Fighting back tears, he holds him a little tighter. Who knows how many more of these they get before he’s gone? “I love you so much, TK.”

“I love you too, dad,” TK looks up at him, growing more and more concerned. “What’s going on?” 

“I just want to make sure you know that,” Owen smiles sadly at him, touching his cheek gently. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Dad, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” TK looks him up and down under a critical gaze before seeing the papers on the bedside table. TK reaches out towards them and Owen lets him take them. This saves him from having to tell him himself. He watches TK’s face as he reads over the documents, he watches his son’s face grow pale as he begins to understand what it means. “Dad…”

“I know, TK. It’s-It’s not good,” Owen squeezes his son’s shoulder. 

“It’s going to be okay,” TK decides after a moment. 

Owen scoffs with a small smile, “And how do you know that?” 

“Because you’re Owen Strand,” TK explains like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “You’re a badass firefighter who has been to hell and back. If anyone can kick this cancer’s ass, it’s you.”

“Is that so?” Owen smirks. 

TK nods, “Besides if you think I’m going to let Judd walk me down the aisle at my wedding, you have another thing coming.” 

Owen smiles at his son, “God, I love you, kid.” 

TK smiles and hugs his dad again, “I love you too. You’re not allowed to die before you meet your grandchildren.” 

Owen raises an eyebrow at him, “Plural?”

TK shrugs, “Perhaps. You know being an only child kind of sucks sometimes.”

Owen rolls his eyes, “You would have hated having a sibling. You like attention too much.” 

“Hey!” TK playfully slaps Owen’s shoulder. As the father and son laugh, Owen wraps his arm around TK and squeezes him. At least for now, everything is okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! If you have any other ideas for a 9-1-1 fic, send them my way! I would love to write them!
> 
> Tumblr- @evanbuckley-heartofgold


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